


A Simple Train Ride

by littlesolo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-10-11 21:41:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesolo/pseuds/littlesolo
Summary: From the prompt:  a good, old-fashioned train heist? high speed rail, possibly carrying some sort of weapon prototype that needs to be intercepted?and then continued....





	1. Chapter 1

The Oriental Desert Express.  FIve star accommodations and high class service.  Exactly the type of train you want to take a trip on.  In theory.  Why does it always have to be in theory in their case, can someone explain that please?  Maria hadn’t even gotten past her second swig of scotch before a goon turned up.  

It was a simple favor for Pepper.  Transporting new Stark tech back to New York.  Simple right?  Just grab the tech that was no bigger than an iPhone and get it home.  Except that someone seemed to find about it and let every henchmen in the area know.  And somehow they were all on this train.  She’d taken care of two before even making it to her cabin.  That’s where things got interesting.  Apparently, Pepper decided to do a little matchmaking while doing a recovery.   That’s the only reason Maria can come up with for her to send the Black Widow to tag along, otherwise she’d feel insulted.  And Pepper had been trying to get them together for months.  

It’s not as if she didn’t see the appeal in Natasha, it’s just… she couldn’t believe she’d feel the same way.  Especially about someone like her.  She’d loved Natasha for a while now, having watched her grow from the cautious agent to the confident Avenger she was now.  Maria had been there at the Widow’s initial intake interview with Fury.  But that was years ago.  Here and now, Natasha is coming to join her her at her table in a ravishing dress.  Just enough time for another gulp of her drink for courage here….

“So what are we drinking to?” asks Natasha as she eases herself into her seat.  

“An uninterrupted meal?” offers Maria with a raised eyebrow, already spotting trouble entering the dining car.  Natasha throws a look over her shoulder before swiping Maria’s drink, her fingers lingering as they brush.  Maria rolls her eyes as Nat finishes off the last bit before using the tumbler as a blunt object to smash the current goon’s forehead with.  Maria is up and tries her best to focus on her weapon and not the lingering up and down look that Natasha gives her pantsuit.  She is not blushing in the slightest.  Knife in hand, they make short work of the attacker and throw him out between the train car doors only to have another one pop up behind Maria and get an arm around her throat.  Maria tries to slam her foot on his instep but he’s too tall and lifts her off her feet.  As she struggles to get her feet to find purchase on something, the goon tightens his grip and yells at Nat to hand over the tech.  The arm not around her throat has a gun aimed at Natasha.  She tosses the package to Nat.  

Natasha catches it easily but Maria sees her expression switch to something she can only describe as fierce.  Pulling her gun she goes for a shot but can’t get a clear one due to how the goon is using Maria as a shield.  Maria meanwhile is clawing at his arm and struggling to breathe.  She has more than one weapon on her but it won’t do her any good if she passes out first.  She manages to catch a foothold on one of the dining booths and shoves herself back hard, making the goon lose balance.  At that, his grip loosens and Maria picks up a water glass and jams it down on his wrist while Natasha fires a round into his forehead.  

That was too close.  In these close quarters, it’s too easy to be caught off guard or get pinned down.  Maria is shaking her head clear when she feels fingers on her throat.  Instinctively, her hand is up and out grasping the wrist, but Nat doesn’t even flinch.  

“Come on, let’s get a cloth on that” is all she says before taking Maria’s hand and guiding her back to her cabin.  Maria doesn’t even think to ask how the spy knows which is hers.  Once inside the cabin Natasha locks the door.  Maria hopes that’s enough of a deterrent for people tonight.  Natasha places a cool cloth on Maria’s throat and helps her to sit down.  Maria eyes Natasha with a bit of skepticism.  “What?  Can’t have something happening to our Commander, now can we?” smirks Natasha.  

Ah.  So that’s it.  Or rather, that’s all there is to it.  Maria leans back, away from Natasha’s tempting touch, and holds the cloth herself.  

“Must be losing my touch in the field…” mumbles Maria, not because she believes it but because it’s something to say.  But Natasha whips around, stops what she’s doing in securing the package, to give Maria a look.  

“Don’t think that for a minute.  That guy was big, that’s all.  In close quarters… look we’re just lucky he didn’t have us near a door” says Natasha.  And Maria knows this.  She knows all this, but part of her can’t help but kick herself for getting pinned like that.  Still, she’ll get over that.  This crush?  Maybe not so easily.  Especially not when Natasha gives her that soft smile.  “Maria, you sure you’re alright?”  

“Yeah….yeah.  I’m fine.  Just tired I guess.  I swear, you know I don’t know why I thought a favor for Pepper would be easier than a favor for Tony?  Granted a lot more things are hammered down detail wise, but the danger and tech is just the same.”  Natasha smirks and then unfolds the top bunk.  Maria marvels at how despite the night, the food and drinks that had gone flying, the scuffle, not a hair is out of place on Natasha and her dress is still perfect and clinging in all the right places.  

“Maria?  You good with sharing a bunk?”  Natasha shifts and looks at her again, crouching down in front of her, hand on Maria’s rapidly warming cheek.  “You sure you didn’t hit your head or something?”  

“No I’m fine.”  Crushed dream is all.  

* * *

Something is up with the Commander tonight.  Otherwise Natasha would have a little more fun.  Making Maria blush is one of her favorite past times.  There’s getting a break in a stony exterior and then there’s making the stone change shade.  Right now, she’s worried that someone might have spiked Maria’s drink or she might have hit her head on the bar once the goon released her.  The goon, just thinking about how close that had been made Natasha scowl.  

Later, when Maria is sound asleep, Natasha is restless and can’t so she slips from the covers.  Pepper had told her to get her act together.  That teasing would only get her so far before it would wind up hurting them both.  Alone, together, Natasha had figured that was the best chance she’d get to tell the other woman her feelings.  But she supposed that could wait until tomorrow, she sighed.  Slipping back into bed she tries to clear her mind for sleep, but can’t help the small smile when Maria’s arm encircles her waist and she nuzzles into her shoulder.  In her sleep, she reminds herself.  But it’s something.  It’s hope.  


	2. Chapter 2

They’re still on the train.  Maria can feel the gentle rock of the train as it zooms down the tracks.  

* * *

 

There’s a version of events where Maria awakens tightening her grip around Natasha’s waist, her fingers brushing an abdominal scar, her nose burrowing in at that place where Nat’s neck meets her shoulder.  Where Natasha’s hair tickles her nose as she inhales her scent.  A version where they gradually wake up together, entwined in each other’s arms.  

But that’s one version.  

 _This_ version of events has the train’s horn startling her out of sleep and sending her tumbling off the bed.  She comes close to breaking her nose, but catches herself on her forearms.  Pushing herself up she thinks about how much easier this would be if she were doing this mission with Slivko or her boys.  Mainly, because she doesn’t have crushes on any of them.  She’s lucky she missed Natasha getting up because in all honesty, seeing Natasha stretch after sleep is enough to make her abandon her objectives completely.  In fact, just imagining it makes her groan out loud in frustration.  And of course that’s what she’s doing when Natasha reenters the cabin.  

“You okay?”

“Fine” answers Maria, hooping that it’ll just go under silent agreement that they ignore the bright blush now spreading across her cheeks.  Natasha looks ready to say something though, smirk already in place, when her phone rings.  

Pepper to the rescue.  

“Hey Pep.  Everything’s set” answers Natasha.  Maria smiles as she faintly hears Pepper respond “ _Don’t call me Pep_.”  

“Oh great.  How did that happen?  asks Natasha with a frown and Maria finds herself wishing she could erase the furrow from the red head’s brow.  Now where had _THAT_ come from?  SHe shakes her head clear and tells herself to pull it together while Natasha wraps up the call.  

“So what’s up?” asks Maria, now that she’s focused again.  

“We’re in for more company.  Word got out that we’re on this train” answers Natasha, all business.  Maria is thankful for that because if there’s one thing her mind can handle without a problem, it’s a mission.  At least that’s until Natasha’s fingers are on her chin again and suddenly their faces are an inch apart.  

“What- um, mind telling me what you’re up to with my face Nat?”  

“You seemed a little off last night.  Just making sure that you look good to go today.”  Not that she minds getting lost in Maria’s eyes for a moment... except now Maria’s frowning at her.  

“I can hold my own.”  

“That’s not what I meant.”  

“Don’t worry about it” answers Maria, scowling as she laces up her boots.  Natasha heaves a mental sigh.  She’s screwed up but has no idea how.  Again.  That’s often the case with her and Maria.  It’s all fine and flirty until Nat inevitability puts her combat boot in her mouth.  She’s about to try and make some sort of apology when there comes a banging from their cabin door, and not the calm and courteous kind.  Maria and Natasha share a look.  

“Time to go” says Maria as she pulls her duffle from beneath the bed.  Maria is already halfway out the window when the door begins to break inwards.  Natasha fires off three quick shots and then follows.  The wind is blowing Maria’s hair across her forehead and the bag pulling across her shoulder.  Natasha is half out the window when Maria hears the door give way.  There are shots fired and the window shatters but Maria has already pulled the small assassin clear.  They make their way slowly but carefully to the end of the car, hand over hand and praying they’re nowhere close to a tunnel.  

Once they’ve reached the space between cars, Maria knows if they can make it to the storage car they can hold up there until they reach the trading post.  The trading post is where their next transport is waiting to get them to the airstrip.  A to B to C.  Simple.  Except that right as they’re about to enter the car, a device grabs Natasha by the neck and pulls her towards the roof of the car.  Maria spins in place and watches as Natasha fights with the wire that pulls her up.  Maria doesn’t think twice.  She abandons her duffle in the storage room and then mounts the ladder to join Natasha up top.  She narrowly misses a foot that swings out to kick her.  Grabbing the ankle she pulls hard and brings the attacker off balance.  She drags him over the edge and tries to kick him off the ladder but he goes for a cheap shot and yanks at her hair.  That earns him a quick elbow to the face.  She doesn’t have much of a hold with just one arm and hand around the ladder and the attacker is tugging at her side to try and regain his balance.  Maria feels her jacket strain and tries to continue up the ladder while swinging her legs to try and shake off the straggler.  

Natasha abandons her leather jacket in an effort to work her herself free of the device that had captured her.  As she pulls, electricity sears through her and it takes everything in her not to scream.  Instead she grits her teeth and takes in the scene in front of her.  She spots her attacker and with a growl she wrenches herself free.  Charging forward it becomes a tangle of arms and legs, this being more of a brawl than a fight of precision.  Her widow bites have no effect and her gun wouldn’t be any good in all this wind and she’s barely able to keep her balance with the way he keep trying to lift her and throw her.  She climbs over his shoulders and cuts at the tendons behind his knees before slicing his throat.  That’s when the first shot is fired.  It startles her only because it comes as soon as the body falls.  There’s another man charging across the top of the cars at them.  Natasha fires three quick shots at him and then goes to Maria’s aid.  Maria’s attacker has gone at her with a knife, and has nearly shredded her arm as Maria fights tooth and nail to kick him off.  The problem is quickly found.  Natasha sees that their legs are entwined and if he falls he’ll likely take her with him.  Natasha grabs hold underneath Maria’s shoulder and then fires off two quick shots.  The body falls away, nearly taking Maria except for Nat’s firm grip, tumbling and knocking between the cars before being rushed away with the wind and dust.  


	3. Chapter 3

Once the body falls away, Maria feels her own hold start to weaken but Natasha’s grip stays firm.  As her feet scrabble against the side, Natasha does her best to haul her back up towards the ladder.  All of this is done with her left arm clutched to her chest where it’s bleeding from three or four deep cuts.  Once back on the walkway, Maria lets Natasha guide her towards the storage compartment.  She can’t tell you what made her look, but she steals a glance over her shoulder and that’s when she sees him.  

Quickly, she pulls Natasha’s gun from her holster and shoves the redhead on through just as the first shots ping around the doorway.  Great.  He has a rifle.  Maria returns fire before ducking into the compartment.  She knows none of her shots probably landed, but it’ll least let him know to expect a fight.  

“Damn!  I thought I got that guy” mutters Natasha as she shifts her weight, preparing for fight.  Maria looks her over quickly and spots blood on her jeans.  Natasha is just about to comment on her worried look when Maria’s eyes go wide and she yanks Natasha towards her by her belt.  Natasha’s hands automatically rest on Maria’s waist and slide down for thigh holster.  She’s doing her best to not think of Maria’s thighs right now and the sound and spray of glass is doing a great job of keeping her focused.  The spot she had been standing moments ago is bursting with the sound of shots but being absolutely flush with Maria’s side, her mind has gone blank besides firing at the window.  Maria, thankfully, is still firing on all cylinders and uses her wounded arm to gently guide Natasha with her behind some large crates for cover.  

Crouching down, Maria continues to fire and gives Natasha a look.  The rifle barrel is inside the window.  Natasha nods.  Maria proceeds to lay down cover fire while Natasha carefully makes her way over to doorway from the other side.  Once she’s along side the door she grabs the barrel and wrenches it from the shooter’s grasp.  Ducking, Maria fires three clean shots into their attacker and it’s over.  Natasha rams the door against the slouching body and it tips off the platform and onto the tracks below.  

With a sigh, Maria slumps into a sitting position and it’s then that Natasha remembers the state of her arm.  The arm she’d used to push her to safety and pull her from harm’s way.  

“Where’s the package?” asks Natasha, knowing that Maria’s duffle also probably holds a medkit.  

“Um… over there somewhere…” sighs Maria, gesturing vaguely.  Natasha raises an eyebrow.  

“You just tossed it?”  

“You needed back up, or so I thought.  Not that I was much use.”  Natasha searches for the duffle among the other bags (which also look like large duffles because why make things easy) stored there as she tries to wrap her head around the fact that Maria had so quickly abandoned their cargo for her.  Ah.  Finally.  Found it.  Now if she can do something before the Commander bleeds out that would really be nice, wouldn’t it?  

“Here, let me see your arm” says Natasha extending her arm ready with gauze to wipe away the blood.  

“Your leg first.  My arm will be fine” argues Maria.  And from there the two engage in a battle of wills staring contest.  Maria gives a small grin when Natasha stands up and starts grumbling to herself.  What she does not expect is for Natasha to simply drop her pants there.  

“There, see?  Nothing but a long graze.  I’ll be fine with a large Snoopy band aid.  Now will you let me look at your arm?”  

She’s not gaping.  She’s not.  She knows she’s not because for one, her mouth is closed.  But she is staring.  Probably.  Staring at all of Natasha’s legs.  Her long creamy legs.  Looking for further injury, she tells herself, while wondering if she sustained a head injury…  

Natasha had given up on waiting for answer and had begun to tend to Maria’s wounds but she can still feel the other woman staring.  

“What?”

“Just trying to imagine you with a Snoopy band aid is all” replies Maria with a smirk and thankfully an even voice.  

“Shut up.”  Natasha examines Maria’s arm.  There are three deep gouges.  She’s lucky none of them are any deeper.  Maria however can’t help but think about how adamant she’d been that she could hold her own and then wound up nearly falling off the damn train.  

“Looks like I’ll be doing the driving when we get to the transport post.  Some stitches should take care of these but they’re going to hurt for a while.”  Maria merely shrugs.  “Want a muffin?”  That pulls Maria from her musings.  

“What?”  

“A muffin.  Do you want one” asks Natasha again.  Maria blinks at her.  

“You stole food?”

“Who knows how long we’ll be back here-”

“A few hours!”

“And if we’ll get hungry” finishes Natasha.  

“I swear that Bird is rubbing off on you” mutters Maria.  

“Ah!  Of all the things to say!  And I was going to give you a lemon poppy seed one too!”


	4. Chapter 4

You know, technically, they could be back in their cabin if it wasn’t a complete wreck.  Scratch that, knowing the guys that were after them they probably have a bunch of angry stewards after them for destruction of property.  Still, maybe they could hide out somewhere with decent seats.  Not that Natasha minds Maria sleeping on her shoulder, it’s just that here in the back storage car they feel every bump and rumble over the tracks.  It had made stitching up Maria’s arm a bit tricky.  So for now, while the Commander sleeps, Natasha lets her mind wander.  

What is she doing here?  She had allowed Pepper to insert her into a simple transport mission all because of her stupid crush.  As if the former Second in Command needed help getting the device back to New York.  In all honesty, things probably would have gone smoother if she hadn’t shown up and drawn more attention to the mission.  The name Black Widow brought with it it’s share of unwanted attention.  If anything, her being her had gotten Maria injured.  Great.  Do they make sympathy cards for that?  I’m sorry  your arm got mangled just because I wanted to spend time with you?  Wonderful.  Now she sounded like a stalker.  How’s that for attractive?

“You know, this would be a lot more restful if you weren’t so tense” says Maria.  With her head on Natasha’s shoulder, it’s said softly near her ear, but Natasha nearly jumps out of her skin.  

“How long have you been awake?” asks Natasha, praying to every god she knows that she hadn’t been mumbling to herself.  

“I don’t know.  How long have you been watching me sleep?” counters Maria.  To be fair she hadn’t meant to answer that honestly, but it seemed to throw the spy for a loop.  An occurrence that didn’t happen all that often, so Maria savors it with a smirk.  

“How’s your arm?”  And just like that, the teasing mood is gone.  Maria looks down at her arm and flexes her fingers.  Not her finest moment.  

“It itches” complains Maria and Natasha has to bite her cheek at the hint of a pout that accompanies it.  Who knew the Commander could be so cute.  

*Bang  BANG BANG*   

“You blocked the door, right?” asks Maria.  They both look over towards the door, which has been blocked with crates.  Crates that are splintering under the pressure of what sound like… crowbars?  Great, more friends.  The thing about making barricades is that they work for both sides.  

“We need to move.  Now” says Maria getting up.  She extends a hand to Natasha and Natasha takes it to pull herself up.  

Now’s a good time for a few facts.  For instance, they’re about twelve miles from the transport point.  Or there’s the fact that the train isn’t exactly slowing down.  Well that’s just fantastic because as Maria pulls the emergency brake cord, and as she grabs the duffles, does she piece together what Maria has in mind.  

They’re going to jump.  


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a delay between chapters!!! I got hit with a bit of writer's block for a while. But here we go again!! Be sure to tell me what you think or are hoping for. Took a little nudge from you CrazyBucket on how to proceed actually......

Despite the many years of training between them, there is nothing skilled or even remotely professional about how they abandon the train car.  Due to the hail of on coming bullets and her efforts to return fire, Maria's bad arm gets tangled in the emergency brake as the train lurches in it's efforts to slow down.  Natasha is ducking and weaving to get to the side door.  It takes all her strength to manage the lever that opens the side door and once that's open it nearly sucks her through.  The wind is now whipping around everything as Natasha chucks their duffels out the open door.  

Maria finally manages to wrangle her arm  free but not before nearly being hit twice and (to Natasha's horror) and nearly breaking her wrist.  She's only just managed to get free when Natasha comes for her.  Maria lays down cover fire as Natasha shoves them both towards the open door, tackling her at the last moment when she hears the last of their flimsy barricade give way.  

They fall into the gritty sand in a tangle of limbs.  Luckily, Natasha had managed to propel them clear of the train but they can both feel the weight and speed of the train as the last remaining cars roar past.  All Natasha can feel though is the way Maria is doing her best to stay crouched protectively over her, resting her weight on her bad arm as her gun stays pointed at the train.  

"I think we're clear" announces Natasha as she carefully tries to sit up, doing a mental check of her body.  Maria lets her body relax and it's only Natasha's quick reflexes that allow her to catch her when she nearly collapses.  As Natasha holds her, she takes in Maria's arm again.  It's bleeding through it's bandages.  For a few moments, just a few, Natasha allows herself the luxury of holding Maria close, telling herself that she's giving Maria a chance to rest and gather herself.  All too soon though, Maria sighs, her head resting against Natasha's shoulder, and Natasha knows it's time to go.  

"Think you can walk?" whispers Natasha.  Maria nods.  Slowly, they get to their feet.  It's a hike to get to where their bags were tossed to but the real trek is ahead.  They're a good twelve miles from the trading post.  

* * *

Twelve miles is twelve miles.  They could do it their sleep, after all daily hikes during basic training were twice as long with at least a hundred pounds of dead weight on their backs.  But the sand is a mixture of hard and soft in places and gets everywhere in their boots.  

It's only on mile three that Maria realizes that Natasha isn't so much as watching her six as she is limping behind.  She slows her stride and when the small assassin catches up, loops her arm around her shoulders.  

"When did you hurt your leg?" asks Maria, feeling guilty for not noticing earlier.  

"When we jumped."  She had tried to tuck in as much as possible but her foot had caught the edge of the door on the way out.  The only thing that helped keep her clear the train were her arms around Maria's waist as they hurled through the air.  The thirty foot tumble once they landed hadn't really helped things either.  

"What are you thinking about?" asks Natasha after a few moments.  

"As much as I love seeing you, I don't think you were the contact I was meant to meet on the train...."   Natasha looks over at her at this.  Had she been expecting someone?  Had Natasha already missed her chance?  

"Who do you think it was?"  

"It doesn't matter now..."

"Of course it matters!  If they're still on that train-"

"They're dead.  He was an old acquaintance of mine.  I thought I could get a little work done on the side.  It was stupid.  Our priority was Pepper's device."   Natasha watches as Maria mentally beats herself up over it.  

"If he's any good at what he does, then he got out of there when things went south for us in the dining car."  Maria lets out an inelegant snort.  

"Nat, when I say 'old acquaintance' I mean someone pushing seventy.  Not that he's not a crafty old guy, but there were a lot of them on that train..."  Maria bites her lip in worry.  Meanwhile, Natasha is giving a mental sigh of relief.  

"Well, nice to know you wouldn't stand me up for just anybody."  

"Not in that dress" mutters Maria softly, but not so softly that Natasha can't catch it.  It results in a heavy blush on Maria's cheeks and a smirk on Natasha's face for the remainder of the trek.  

* * *

When they finally reach the trading post, night has begun to fall, along with the temperature.  The two survey the parked cars with a trained eye.  It wasn't so much as they would have a car there waiting for them as it was there would be a number of cars they could choose from.  They opt for a reliable truck with a full tank of gas and toss their bags into the back before climbing in.  

Or at least trying to.  

"I'm driving" says Maria.  To her credit, she's standing at her full height and looks alert, or alert as one can be while trying to mask the pain in their arm.  

"Not with that arm.  I call first shift" argues Natasha.  

"Okay first of all, how do plan to drive with that foot and how is driving in shifts supposed to make my arm better?"  

"I plan on using my other one.   Maybe the bleeding will stop.  My leaning on it for nine miles probably didn't help things."   

They hit the road only after deciding by coin toss who will drive first.  

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

On the plus side, they're on the last leg of this trip before they get to the plane ride home.  On the down side, Natasha is no closer to asking Maria out.  She has only a day, maybe a little longer, left.  Although they're traveling by car now, they still have a ways through the desert to get to the airstrip.  

While Maria drives first shift, Natasha has been thinking to herself  Maria had been there on that train for another reason.  A reason other than Pepper's gizmo in an atmosphere that was generally peaceful.  

"You were there doing something for Nick, weren't you?  I mean that's what your other meeting was about" says Natasha as she turns to look at Maria.  Of all the stupid and careless things....  Not that the Commander couldn't handle her own but there was a reason that Natasha tended to work with Clint, especially when Nick was concerned.  

Maria merely rolled her eyes.  

"Of course it's for Nick.  Isn't that why you're here too?" replies Maria, glancing over at Natasha.  

"No I'm here for you" says Natasha in her head.  Or least she thought it was in her head, but given the shocked look Maria is giving her, maybe not.  The starts to rumble as it veers off road, and Maria snaps back to attention and rights the car.  

There's nothing but silence for a long time but Natasha can feel Maria getting more tense by the moment.  

"DIdi Pepper put you up to this?" asks Maria with a heavy sigh, squinting as she realises that they'll have to pull over for the on coming dust storm.  They have maybe five minutes until they're in the thick of it and there's no telling how long it will last and put them behind schedule.  

"All Pepper said was-"

"I don't need to be set up on a bunch of dates, my personal life is fine."  

"Aw, come on Maria, admit it!  You don't have a personal life.  It's why you're up for missions for Nick and favors for Pepper, that is if you're not overseeing the training of your Sky Devils..."  In all honesty, Natasha hadn't meant to go that far, but there's no taking it back now.  Maria glares through the windshield at the sand and dust and sharply pulls the car over and shuts it off.  Then she unbuckles her seatbelt and turns to look at Natasha.  

"Why are you here Nat?  If you didn't know Nick's agenda, then why are you here?  If you came just for Pepper's tech, then you could have gotten that the first night and left."  

Things aren't making sense anymore.  All the attackers had made sense due to Nick, but why was Natasha here?  She's tired of everything now, even her crush on the assassin and just wants to sleep.  She's also tired of people meddling in her life.  Especially if it's the one person she actually has feelings for.  The last thing she needs is Nat's pity.  

"Maria?  Maria, are you okay?  Lean back and take a few deep breaths for me?"  Maria shoves Natasha's hand away when it rests on bad arm.  A move she immediately regrets if for no other reason than it hurts.  

Natasha looks around as the sand and dust whirl past their windows.  

"I'm here because I asked Pepper if I could tag along once I heard you were doing it."  

"Because you knew I'd need back up"

"No.  Because I knew you'd be here.  Think about it.  Unless we're on a mission, we hardly ever get to see each other."

"Nat, we see each other all the time on the carriers" says Maria.  Things are becoming clearer but at the same time, making less sense.  Or maybe it was due to the number of times she's hit her head recently....

"I thought... I thought a nice meal on a train could still work as a date" answered Natasha with a shrug.  

"And what, we share an in flight movie?"  

"Barring an air assault, sure."  

Maria turns and rests her head against the steering wheel.  Then she turns and smirks at Natasha.  

"Tell you what.  We get there in one piece, I'll let you pick the film."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely happy with this but I hope to pull it together with one last battle at the airport.


End file.
